The Better Life
by Kayarra
Summary: Max DeLuca, 17, and Maria DeLuca, 16, are two very rich siblings in Miami. When things crash to the bottom from them they leave and some how end up in Roswell, New Mexico.
1. Pro-1

**Title**: The Better Life

**Author:** Kayarra Ali

**Rating:** R for slight drug use/language.  

**Category:** Max/Liz.  Some Michael/Maria and little Isabel/Alex.

**Summary:** Max DeLuca, 17, and Maria DeLuca, 16, are two very rich siblings in Miami.  When things crash to the bottom from them they leave and some how end up in Roswell, New Mexico.

**Disclaimer:** I own the idea, not the characters.  The characters belong to Melinda Metz and Jason Katims

**Authors Note:** Everyone's pretty fucked up in this story, from drug problems to self-mutilation to eating disorders.  The only thing I can ensure to you is that they all heal each other.  Please back out now if these topics offend you.

The title, The Better Life, is burrowed from the 3 Doors Down album.

**Prologue**

* * * * *

_Everyone came around here   
Everyone else got sick   
And watched the clock ticking' slowly   
Everyone knew the ending   
Opened a bag of tricks   
And stumbled over their own   
They blew minds away   
Sort of the crippling just like thunder   
And it's gone today   
I'm so happy that it's on   
It's the end of the world  
_--End of the World, Cold

* * * * *                                  

Paint and pencils were thrown everywhere.

He was pissed.

If there was anything Max Deluca could do, it was draw, but for a reason only known to God, he couldn't.

Usually his paintings breathed life's air.  Full of reality, but now everything was wrong.

The shadows were wrong.

The angles were crooked.

He was drawing her again, the girl who haunted his dreams.

Hair and eyes like chocolate skin like olive.

He was intoxicated.

He'd never been able to draw her, recreating her face has proven to be impossible.

His frustration showed in his angry sigh.  He tried painting in the dark, but the bright Miami sun made it nearly impossible, the shades hid nothing.

His eyes wondered as he focused on the white powder.

The powder was he demon.  His ex, Teresa, had introduced him to it.  Initiated him in a world he despised, but couldn't turn away from.

He used rarely, three, four times a month, promising himself that it would be the last.

Nobody keeps promises.

His legs betrayed him as he walked towards his hell.  He lined the powder in two straight lines, bending over he wondered, like every other time, if this would be the hit that killed him.

He'd had problems…he knew it.  He'd be a fool to pretend that he was perfect.  

Perfection was impossible.  He tried for everyone to be perfect, but it wasn't possible.

"I thought you said you'd stop using?" A whisper stole his thoughts. 

"We made a deal that if you'd stop, I'd eat…but you lied to me.  Why did you lie?" Maria wasn't a fool.  She knew how hard it was to break addictions…to be normal.  Or at least, pretend.

She was sick too.  At 5'3 and 98 pounds, it was obvious she was sick.  Food was an evil spirit that trailed her mind.  It was poison…something you needed to throw up.

She knew it'd be hard to stop, but for her brother's sake, she promised…she promised to stay healthy if he wouldn't do drugs.

"I'm sorry," he told her.  

"I know you are," she said calmly before leaving his room.

He moved, preparing to follow her when a white sheet of paper caught his eye.  It hadn't been there before.  He opened it up, not prepared for what he read.

How much were you willing to risk 

_To put yourself in this_

_How much pain did you want to cause_

_When my innocence was lost_

_Blood didn't mean nothing to you_

_The hurt and the pain I didn't choose…_

He couldn't read anymore…he knew whose song this was.  He knew what it meant too.  Anger moved his body as he barreled in her room.  Her eyes showed the shock of his intrusion.

"What does this mean?"

"What does what mean?"

"_How much were you willing to risk, to put yourself in this."_ He didn't have to continue.  The expression on her face told him she knew.

"Where did you find that?" she asked sharply.

"You dropped it."

"It doesn't mean anything Max," she neared him and grabbed the paper from his hands.  "Go away," she continued.

"It means everything and you know it…you wouldn't write it if it didn't mean shit to you, so don't lie."

"It means nothing."

"Stop lying to me Maria.  What does it mean?" he pestered.  

She wanted to lie to him; after all, he had lied to her about using drugs.  She pushed her blond hair out of her eyes.

"Leave it alone Max, just leave it alone." She said, suddenly feeling tired beyond belief.  The truth would hurt everyone…she couldn't let him know, she couldn't let anyone knew who did that to her.  It would kill him.

"Dammit Maria don't play these games!  Who did these things to you?  I know what this song means, so don't lie to me!  Who did it?"  He had finally reached breaking; he just wanted to know who hurt his sister so much.

"Papá"

The blood in his veins froze.  Not his father…not him.

"Papá?" he asked her, willing her to deny what she just told him.

She nodded and he left. 

Ran.

The truth hurts.

* * * * *

I can't stop thinking about cutting myself up  
Visual bruises can be covered with make-up  
But down to the core I'm all bruises  
My little whore gives this excuse  
How can this be rationalized?  
Your brain has programmed all those lies  
what do you tell yourself about our situation  
How can you look at yourself without having some sort of revelation?

--Bruises, Majandra Delfino

* * * * *

Liz Parker ran to the bathroom of the tiny 2-bedroom apartment that her and her father shared.

He'd hurt again.

His words.

Pain.

She felt it around her, mocking her, waiting for her to bleed.

The tears crashed down her face like a waterfall.  She was broken and no one cared.

He always did that to her, made her feel like the lowest shit in the earth.  He was her father, but he didn't care.  The words he said to her made her glass break. 

Crack.

Shatter.

_'You worthless piece of shit, you were destined to fail.'_

She saw the razor sitting there, waiting.

'Your mother died birthing your ass, I bet she laughs in Heaven at you, awaiting your entrance to Hell.'

She fingered the razor, waiting, wanting the pain that would come with what she was about to do.

'Your grave would amuse me, you deserve to die.'

She would die.

'I don't know what fucking gave you the idea that you could be a dancer you're stupid.  You're clumsy.'

The razor pressed against her skin.

The pain came, and she cried.  

It didn't compare.

Part 1 

He was afraid.  His father…his hero had done something so evil, so malicious.  He wouldn't allow it to continue.  

He had to stop him from hurting her again, from hurting his family.

Max ran until he reached his father study, he opened the door to find his father talking gaily on the phone, not giving a damn about what he had done.

"Father." He said steely to Raphael DeLuca.

The tone of Max's voice shocked his father to the core.  Immediately, he knew that something was wrong.

He hung up the phone and put up a false smile.  "What is it son?" 

"You touched her," he whispered. 

His father froze as he realized that Max knew.  "Did she tell you that?  She lied, she came at me…!"

"YOU FUCKING RAPED HER!"

"Look, keep your mouth shut.  What is it going to take you to keep quiet?"

"Nothing, I want you to rot in jail."

"You and I both know that that's not going to happen." His father said with a smug look on his face.

Max knew it too.  

His father would get away with everything that he did to his sister, and he could do nothing to stop that.  He thought quickly, if anything, he just wanted to get his sister out of there.  

"Emancipate us, I don't care how, but I want us out of this house in two hours.  And keep our accounts open.  If you don't I swear to you that I will tell every goddamned police officer what you did our I will kill you myself."

His father nodded, fear flashing through his eyes that he tried desperately to cover.  "Fine."

Max left the office then, glaring at his father the whole way out.  Once he was completely out, he hurried towards his sister's room, startling her for the second time that day.

"Pack everything." He said as Maria looked up from her Seventeen Magazine.  "Meet me in front of my car in two hours…we're leaving."

Maria looked at him shocked, wondering how he managed to get her through it.  She looked at his face, looking for signs of humor.  When she saw none she nodded her head and began packing.

Max left to his room and began packing what he needed.  He didn't really have anything important but his art supplies, clothes, and some miscellaneous stuff.  When he was done he sat and his bed and thought about everything.

His own father did something so terrible to his sister.

Max felt a small tear leave his eyes as he thought of how his sister must of felt…dealing with all this.  Dealing with it all alone.

He thought briefly of his Italian mother.  She was in Italy with her mother, his grandmother.

He would miss his mother.

As a kid, he ran to her for everything…small cuts, a broken toy…everything.  Max figured that he wouldn't leave her without calling.  He made a small promise to her to at least call her once in awhile.

Max glanced at his clock and noticed that two hours had passed.  He grabbed his stuff and left for his father's office.  He slowly walked there, regretting every step closer he made towards the office.  He wanted nothing to do with his father.

He opened the door once he got there.  His father began talking as soon as he saw him.

"I pulled a few strings and I was able to get the emancipation." He pulled the papers from his desk and put them directly in front of Max.  "All you have to do is sign." He finished.

Max pulled out a pen and signed his name on the blank space.  After a second of thought, he signed Maria's name too.

"What are you doing?" his confused father asked him.

"I don't want her to have anything to do with you, ever again."  He said his voice dripped with acid.

His father nodded, then reached for two fat envelopes.  "I thought it would be easier if I just emptied out your accounts."  He handed the envelopes to Max.  "A hundred thousand each."  He said.

Max nodded and turned from his father and prepared to exit out of the room and never look back.

"Goodbye son." His father called.

Max didn't know what went through him…what made him turn around and punch his father hard across the face.

"Fuck you," Max spat out at his fathers pain withered form, before leaving the room.

Max grabbed his bag and went out side the house to his silver Seabring.  "His baby" was what he liked to call it.  He saw Maria standing out there beside the car with five luggages.  

He put their stuff in the trunk and backseat and went around to the front seat, and started the car after Maria entered the passenger's side.

He handed her money.  "A hundred thousand…use wisely." He told her.

Max started his car and drove to his friend's house.

Maria looked around the familiar surroundings.  "We're staying here?" she asked him.

"Nope," Max responded.  "I have to talk to Marco, then we're leaving Miami."  Marco was his best friend since high school started…they had gone through a lot of shit together and he felt as though he owed his some kind of goodbye.

Max got out of the car and walked up to Marco's flat and knocked on his front door.  Marco soon answered him.

"Hola Chico, Buenos dias," Marco greeted him.

Max nodded at the greeting.  

"Hola…Estamos salindo de Miami…nos ceraioramas de que nada sucede a mi madre.  Guarde su caja fuerte." Max spoke to him, his Spanish tongue exploding fourth.  

Marco nodded to him.  "Claro que si."

"Adios el amigo." Max said, he grabbed Marco in a man-hug and turned and walked back to his car.

"Adios," Marco replied before turning around and closing the door.

Max hoped in the car.  "So, where do you want to go?" Max asked Maria who had waited patiently the whole time.

The possibilities rolled around her head.  There were so many places she wanted to visit.

"Well…" she started.  "I want to go to L.A, and don't laugh or ask, but I also want to see Roswell, New Mexico."  She said, feeling foolish.  "We can go to Roswell, then go to L.A."

Max gave a little laugh.  "Sure…but don't expect me to be the only driver.  That's going to be a hell of a long ride."

* * * * * 

A day later, at the edge of Texas and New Mexico, they stopped to get gas at the station.  The car trip had been exhausting and they planned on this being the last stop before they entered Roswell.

Max shook his head and let out a little laugh at the absurdity of going to Roswell.  Of all of the things his sister would of suggested, he surely hadn't thought of Roswell.

He shook Maria awake from her slumber.  So far he had driven the whole way.  'So much for shared driving,' he thought to himself.  

Maria woke up, looking at her surroundings disoriented.

"Bathroom break."  Max told her.

Maria nodded her head and yawned before leaving to the station bathroom.

Max put his gas card in and proceeded to fill the tank, as he held his hand on the nuzzle he began thinking about everything he had yet to think about.

School.

Living arrangements.

Jobs.

A hundred thousand lasted a long time, but not enough to start a whole new life.  Max supposed that he and Maria could stay in a hotel until he could find an apartment.  Last, but not least he thought of school.  It shouldn't be too hard; all he had to do was register into one of the local Roswell schools.

Max gave himself a pat on back, he was proud of himself for figuring out all the answers.

Soon Maria came back and he finished filling the gas.  It was around ten o' clock in the morning and they were both wide-awake.

They sat in silence until Maria turned on the radio.

If ever you had said to me before  
That I would live this life that I am  
Living now I guess it's all so strange  
To feel the way I do inside but  
Have so much that I could feel some  
Pride for in my life so why is it that  
I feel like this

Change—Staind 

Maria turned to Max, asking him a question that had been on her mind for the past hours.

"How did you get dad-Raphael to do this?"  Calling had gotten to painful, so she just referred to him as Raphael now.

"I threatened to kill him."  Max told her flatly.  There was no emotion apparent in his voice.

Maria nodded while playing with her earring.  "Well, thanks."  She meant it.  He had removed her from her hell and she had deeply appreciated it.

"What about mom?"  Maria asked him.

Max shook his head.  "I don't know."  He said, his voice stoic.  "I don't know anything anymore."****

TBC


	2. Part 2

Authors Note:  I guess you could say that some of Maria's thoughts are my thoughts…otherwise, how would I write it?  I hope you enjoy this part, took me awhile to write it.  They lyrics used in this part are by Michelle Branch "You Get Me".  Why?  I adore Michelle. Part 2 

When I was younger, I wondered if the man on the moon was trapped on the inner grounds.  And he looked on with a smile on his face, so the humans on earth watching him wouldn't feel bad.

_I guess you could say that I'm that "man".  _

_When Raphael was…abusing me, I never let anyone know.  I could never do the rebellious teen thing; because I've been dying my hair, since like, forever and my piercing are nothing new.  So I sat at dinner, with friends, talked with Max, talked to my mom all with a smile on my face._

_But after dinner, the food…would come up.  I guess bulimia was a way for my soul to heal, the wrong way anyways._

_After I got really skinny, Max began to notice and got mad.  But what the hell right did he have?  He spent his days snorting coke up his fucking nose, nearly killing his fucking self each time._

_At least, that's what I told myself to get rid of the guilt. But that didn't work, so Max and I promised each other to stay healthy.  But it wasn't about thinness to me.  It was more about controlling parts of me, that others took control of.  My body was abused and I thought I was helping myself by being able to control it._

_And Max and mom stayed in ignorance of the situation with Raphael._

_I'd rather of done it that way anyways.  I never wanted Max and mom to feel sorry for what I was going through with him…never wanted them to weep for me._

_I'd rather cry my own tears and leave the shallow, salty water to only rain on my face…no others._

_But now Max knows…is that good?  Will he look at me differently?  Raphael was one of his heroes, and I messed that up for him._

_I wonder if he hates me.  _

_The only time we ever really talked during the ride to Roswell (might I add, that I love aliens?) was when the radio was off, or when we asked each other simple questions.  _

_Pain is a funny thing.  _

_When you feel pain, you shut people out, or maybe even shut out your own brain's logical ways of thinking._

_Pain makes you bleed and pain takes the ones you love most away from you.  Not to mention, pain makes you kill._

_But that's irrelevant._

_The pain I'm feeling…I hope it goes away soon.  I'm not sure how much my heart will last._

_The ride is almost over and the road says "**ROSWELL—10 MILES**".  Guess that's my cue to stop writing._

_And my cue to finally learn how to heal._

* * * * *

Maria closed her journal slowly, as if leaving a good friend.  

Max glanced at her, and looked back at the road.  "We're almost there." He said, his voice monotone.

Maria nodded and clutched her journal to her chest and looked out the passenger's side window.  "Yea, I noticed." She said quietly.

Max glanced once more at her and back at the road.  "You excited about going to _Roswell, _New Mexico?" he said in a teasing voice.

Maria let out a small giggle.  "Yes, actually I am…" she said with a smile on her face.  

"Come on!" she said, facing Max.  "Don't tell me you're not a little excited to find out if the rumors about aliens is true."

Max shook his head.  "No, not really…" he said with a small laugh.  "I'd rather not see little green men."

Maria stuck her tongue at him.  "You suck." She said, with a smile.

Max laughed and looked straight at the road, and stared as he once again fell into silence.

Maria sighed, missing the banter and once again listened to the radio, smiling as Michelle Branch's young soulful voice filled the car.

"She's my hero…"she whispered to herself.

"Why is that?" Max asked her.

Maria looked up in surprise.  "Because…"she started.  "Because she's the famous singer…so beautiful, so much talent." She said softly.

Max nodded.  "Yea, she's great." He said, once again, he stared at the miles of land in front of him and seemed to drift off into thought.

Maria smacked her lips together in annoyance.  "Why won't you talk to me Max?" she asked him.  Her voice gained an octave.  "What, do you like hate me now?" she asked him, her eyes brimming with tears at the possible answer.

Max continued to stare out of the window.  "Why didn't you tell me?" Max asked her, his voice so quiet that Maria could barely hear him.

"You let him…do this to you, and you never told me.  You ate at dinner with him, you smiled, and all the while, he was…raping you." He said, although he tried to hide it, Maria could see the tears that threatened to fall down his face.  

"I'm sorry." Maria said shortly.

Max nodded.  "We should talk about this." He told her.

Maria nodded.  "Yea, yea we will, but now…now, I can't talk about it." She said.  "It's too soon.  It still hurts."

By this time Max had pulled into the **Roswell Apartment Complexes**.  Before getting out of the car, he turned to Maria.

"Before we left the gas station, I made a few calls and I was able to rent out a two bedroom apartment, we have to pay rent, so we have to get jobs, which we'll look into tomorrow."

Maria nodded.  "How did you manage to get that so quickly?"

"Just pulled a few strings," Max said before exiting the car.  He went to the back and began picking up some luggages while Maria helped.  They found that they could carry everything in one run so they headed up the stairs of the apartment.

Max dropped their bags in front of the door while Maria did the same.  

"Wait right here," Max said.  "I have to go pick up the key." He told her.  Maria nodded and he descended down the stairs.

Maria sat by the front of her door quietly and stood up as the door to the apartment opened.  She watched as a young, tiny brunette wearing a long sleeved shirt stepped out of the apartment.

"Hey." Maria said.

The brunette turned quickly, as if she hadn't noticed Maria before.  The brunette smiled shyly, taking in Maria's pink and blond hair and many piercing.

"Hi, I'm Liz Parker." She said.

Maria stood up and took her hand and shook Liz's.  "Hey Liz.  I'm Maria DeLuca." She said, quite excitedly.

Liz looked at the bags on the floor.  "So, I guess you and your parents just moved here?"

Maria shook her head.  "No actually, me and my brother Max just moved here." She said.

Liz nodded.  "How old are you?  I'm 17." She informed Maria.

"I'm 16…" Maria said.  They stood there quietly.  "I'm just waiting for Max to bring the key."  She looked impatiently down the hall. 

As she said that Max was standing at the other side of the hall, looking transfixed at the brunette beauty standing with his sister.

It was she.

Everything…the body, the face, the hair…it was she.

His hand sweated, as if yearning for his art supplies, just to finish the beauty that had marked his dreams for a while.

Maria looked over at the other side of the hall, catching site of Max.

"Max!" she yelled.  "Finally," she breathed out.

Liz looked over at Max and caught eyes with him.  Her breath caught in her throat.  He was…gorgeous, she idly wondered if she were drooling.

Max walked slowly over, never loosing eye contact.

What held their eyes together?  They did not know.  A tune went over in Liz's head as Max walked towards her.

_So I'm a little left of center   
I'm a little out of tune  
Some say I'm paranormal  
So I just bend their spoon  
Who wants to be ordinary  
In a crazy, mixed-up world  
I don't care what they're saying'  
As long as I'm your girl _

_Hey, you are on my side  
and they, they just roll their eyes _

_You get me  
When nobody understands  
You come and take the chance, baby  
You get me  
You look inside my wild mind  
Never knowing what you'll find  
And still you want me all the time  
Yeah, you do  
Yeah, you get me _

_So what if I see the sunshine  
In the pouring rain  
Some people think I'm crazy  
But you say it's okay  
You've seen my secret garden  
Where all of my flowers grow  
In my imagination  
Anything goes _

_I, I am all you want  
they, they just read me wrong _

_You get me  
When nobody understands  
You come and hold my hand, baby  
You get me  
You look inside my wild mind  
Never knowing what you'll find  
Still you want me all the time  
Yeah, you do  
'Cause you get me _

_Hey, you are on my side  
they; they just roll their eyes  
Yeah, yeah, yeah _

_'Cause you get me  
When nobody understands  
You come and take the chance, baby  
You get me  
When none of the pieces fit  
You make sense of it  
You get me  
You look inside my wild mind  
Never knowing what you'll find  
And still I want you all the time  
Yeah, I do  
'Cause you get me  
Yeah, oh, yeah, oh _

_* * * * *_

She didn't even know him and her heart raced.  They shook hands.  When had they gotten to that part?  She didn't know.  So she accepted it.

"Max DeLuca." His quiet voice flown to her brain, whispering itself around her mind.

Max DeLuca…Max DeLuca…Max DeLuca… 

"Liz Parker_" _she said. 

There hands didn't let go of each other.  

Love?

Funny thing…sometimes…it just comes out at you.

TBC… 


	3. Part 3

Authors Note: To get a better description of Max in your head, imagine Zan without the beard and his hair is more like Max on the show.  That's what my Max looks like.  Part 3 

Liz sat up in her bed, turning off the alarm clock, which was blaring loudly; in it's usual alarm clock sound.

She stretched her arms and yawned, noticing the fresh scars that were on her arm from the corner of her eyes.

She had met the guy of her dreams the other night, shook hands, locked eyes and they seemed to of breathed the same breath.  

  
But it had changed the minute she entered back in the apartment.

Her father had been waiting…apparently he had been looking out the peephole at Liz and Max.

He was drunk too.

After screaming at her the vicious insults, Liz once again ran to the bathroom, the words repeating in her head that she was a slut, that she wasn't good enough, and that she was like a whore on the street that advertised herself to guys.

Liz looked at the clock again noticing that she only had a half hour to get ready for school.  She got out of bed and took a quick shower and dressed.  After getting dressed she wore a sweater over her outfit.

As she left to leave her room, like every morning, she silently prayed that she wouldn't come in contact with her father.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that he wasn't there.

Liz ran outside and waited for the familiar roar of a motorcycle.  

Michael, her best friend since before her mother died, had been getting her to school everyday since he got his motorcycle.

She sat down on the curb and looked at the ground.  She lifted her head when she heard Michael's motorcycle pull up.

She smiled and climbed on the back of the cycle.

"How's it going?" Michael asked.

"It's going fine," Liz lied.  Even though Michael was her best friend, he knew nothing of the abuse from her father and the fact that she cut the shit out of her arms.

"Cool." Michael said reluctantly before roaring out of the apartment complexes.

He wasn't stupid.  He knew that something was wrong with Liz, but she had never confided in him.

And it hurt.

She was his best friend.  And she was hiding from him.

* * * * 

Max and Maria stood in front of West Roswell High School, ten minutes before homeroom was to start.

Max reached in his pocket and pulled out a document.

"School transcripts" Max said to Maria as he handed her, her transcripts.

"How the hell did you get this?" Maria asked him.

Max shrugged his shoulders.  "I have my ways." He said before pulling the door open and they walked in.

Max and Maria walked in the hall; aware of the sudden stares they were getting from the other students.

Maria wasn't surprised as she started at the girls' preppy outfits.  She thought she and Max stood out with their baggy clothes, dyed hair and pierced bodies.

"They're staring at us," Maria whispered to Max.

"Yea, I've noticed" Max said dryly.  He hated being started at…like he was under some sort of microscope.

"I guess we should go to the office," Maria said to him.

"Yea, we should." Max replied.  They headed toward the main office, which was luckily right in front of them.

They entered the office and stood in front of the front desk.

The woman at the front desk looked up, taking in their appearance.  "Names?" she said to the two.

"Max DeLuca and Maria DeLuca." Max said to the woman.

The woman quickly typed up something on her computer.  "Alright…" she muttered as she pressed print.  She got up to go the printer and returned seconds later to hand them their schedules.

"Here you go." The woman said as she handed them the schedules.  

"Thanks." Max and Maria said before walking out of the office into the deserted hallways.

"What you got first?" Max asked.

"Uh…I got Trig first, then English 11, then Physiology," Maria rolled her eyes.  "After that I have Drama, then lunch, then Spanish—easy one.  And then I have Chemistry." Maria told him.

Max nodded his head.  "I got Spanish, Physics, English 12, Pre-Cal, lunch, Art, and last but not least I got a free period."  Max finished with a smile.

"Not fair!" Maria cried she looked at his schedule to confirm it.  "Why do you have a free period?"

"Feels great to be a senior." Max answered.

Maria pouted slightly.  "Whatever.  I'm going to find my way to class now.  See you at lunch" She said with a fake smile.

Max laughed.  "Me too."

They parted ways and Max looked at the Spanish class number.  "E131" he muttered.  He looked up at the hallway sign and saw that he was already in the 'E' wing.  He walked down the hall until he saw class 131.

"Here goes nothing." He said to himself before knocking on the door.

The teacher opened the door and welcomed him in.  "Hola!" the teacher called.  "Me nombre es Senorita Lopez." The teacher introduced her self brightly.  "Como se llama?"

"Me llamo Max DeLuca." Max responded easily.

Senora Lopez smiled brightly before presenting him to the class.  "Class, this Max DeLuca." She turned to Max.  "Where are you from?"

"I'm from Miami." He responded uncomfortably.  He didn't like the way the students stared at him, presumably looking at his attire.

"In Spanish." The teacher stated.

"Soy de Miami." Max responded.

The teacher nodded and pointed to the vacant seat beside a big guy with Jesus like hair in the back.  "Go sit beside Michael Guerin." She ordered.

Max nodded and headed towards his new seat.  "Hey." He said to Michael as he sat down.

Michael looked up.  "Hey." He grunted, not really caring to make any new friends.

Max shook his head and faced the teacher.

It was going to be a long day.

* * * * *

At lunchtime Maria sat with Liz, who happened to be in her Drama class and offered to let Maria eat with her.

"Who do you usually lunch with?" Maria asked brightly, happy to of made a new friend.

Liz swallowed the salad that was in her mouth.  "Well, I usually eat with Michael Guerin, Isabel Evans, and Alex Whitman." She blushed slightly.  "Is your brother coming?" she asked, hoping she didn't sound like a lovesick fool.

Maria smiled to herself; Liz had it bad for Max.  "Uh, yea, as soon as I see him, I'll call him over." Maria responded. 

Maria watched as a group of people walked toward their table, she focused on the guy with the long hair.  

"Hey guys." She heard Liz say.

"Maria.  This is Michael." Liz said while pointing to the guy with the Jesus do.  "This is Alex," she pointed to the guy with the short hair.  "And this is Isabel." She pointed to the tall, beautiful, blonde.

"Hey." Maria said shyly.  Liz looked over at her in surprise.  

She didn't know the girl that well, but she knew enough to know that Maria wasn't shy.

Seconds later, Max strolled into the quad and looked around for his sister.  Maria smiled and stood in her seat.  "Max, idioto!  Estoy aquí!"  Maria blushed as she realized the whole quad was looking at her.  She slowly sank down to her seat to the puzzled stares of her tablemates.

Max walked over to her and smirked.  "Soy el idioto?"

Maria covered her face.  "Cierre para arriba."

The siblings looked up and saw the whole table looking at them.

"Sorry…" they muttered.

"It's okay," Liz responded with a smile.  Max smiled back at her.

"So," Alex said loudly, interrupting their staring match.  "Where are you guys from?" he asked.

"We're from Miami-." Maria began to answer.

"Where's your lunch?" Max asked Maria abruptly.

"I forgot it at home." Maria answered quietly. 

Max nodded slowly, not wanting to cause a scene.  "Okay."

"Anyways." Maria continued brightly.  "Like I said, we're from Miami."

"Why'd you leave?" Isabel asked them.

"We had our reasons." Maria explained.  "You know, we just, uh, wanted to tour the country." She said seconds later.

"And your parents let you?" Alex asked in awe.

"Man, I'd kill to have your parents." Isabel said with a small laugh, the whole table, excluding Max and Maria followed her.

Max crumpled up his food and stood up.  "I wouldn't wish those parents on anyone," he said, before walking away.

The table stared at him in question.  Maria stood up, ready to go after him, but stopped as Liz put her hand on her arm.

"Can I go?" Liz asked quietly, fearfully.

Maria nodded slowly.  "Yea, sure…" she responded, her voice full of pain, her heart heavy.

She watched as Liz ran after her brothers retreating figure, waiting till they were both gone before turning back to the rest of the table.

"I'm-I'm sorry…"Isabel said quietly.  "I didn't mean to make him upset."

Maria tried to smile.  "It's okay."

"So what was that about?" Michael asked, his voice, calmer than it had ever been before.

Maria shook her head.  "Nothing, nothing!" she exclaimed as she put on a bright smile.  "Now, anyways, anyone want to go see Orange County with Max and me?" She said brightly.

Falsely.

The rest of the table smiled and let her go on with her charade.  Hopefully she would learn to confide in them one day…when that day was, they didn't know.

TBC 


End file.
